Supporting parents

Where settings and schools are working closely with parents the focus is around their children’s development. However, our training on ‘British’ Values alerted us to the fact that many parents also need supportive programmes. Because of the serious impact on their own and their children’s lives, families vulnerable to hate crime, need much greater support around these issues. If their parents become victims, children do too.

Polish community leaders told the Commons Home Affairs committee that since the referendum a minority of people have been emboldened to launch attacks against immigrants in public places, at work and in schools. A mother with a child in a buggy was told to “Take your Polish bastard back home to Poland”.

Young parents, especially mothers, living in disadvantaged communities are likely to be some of the most vulnerable to hate crime and least likely to report any issues for fear of retribution. They need to know about local community organisations where they can go for additional support and encouraged to report hate crime. But complaints to the police receive a mixed response and some schools turn a blind eye to incidents.